Falmouth plow incident may have SSA link

The village Green in Falmouth where a plow truck targeted Trump protestors by splashing slush on them. — Rich Saltzberg

Updated at 4 pm

A plow driver who allegedly targeted Trump protestors on Falmouth’s Village Green last Monday with slush wash from a snowplow may be employed by the Steamship Authority. John C. Pimental of Mashpee, the alleged driver of the plow, was charged with disorderly conduct and assault, according to Falmouth Police Captain Jeffrey Smith.

On the green, more than 50 people protested Trump’s declaration of a national emergency to tap funds for a border wall, the Falmouth Enterprise reported, and went on to say that the plow made a repeat pass to splash slush on protesters. A Falmouth Police report puts the number of protesters at “approximately 30,” and states video evidence has been obtained.

“We have a John Pimental, who is an associate terminal agent,” SSA spokesman Sean Driscoll told The Times. But citing lack of information, Driscoll declined to identify the associate terminal agent as the plow driver.

Driscoll emailed that he had “no direct knowledge of any involvement on the part of one of our employees …” in the incident. As of last Wednesday, Driscoll remained unable to identify whether the Pimental who worked as a plow contractor is the same man who is on the SSA payroll.

James Grady Jr., Falmouth superintendent of highways, told The Times last Thursday afternoon that Pimental is a subcontract plower for Falmouth. He also said he believes Pimental works for the SSA, and has seen Pimental in SSA attire clearing snow for ferry parking in the past. He said the green where Pimental allegedly sprayed the protesters wasn’t part of the route he was assigned that day, describing it as “close but not where he’s supposed to plow.” Pimental was assigned to area 2, “halfway between Woods Hole and Village Green,” he said.

Grady also said Pimental is used on an on-call basis, and has not been called back since the incident. Falmouth town manager Julian Suso told The Times on Friday that Pimental has been removed from the town’s plowing contractor list.

Susan Moran, chairman of the Falmouth board of selectmen, said she doesn’t have all the facts about the incident yet, but has empathy for the protesters. “There were a lot of folks who were incensed, upset, and afraid,” she said, and described the incident as “very concerning.”

The driver was probably totally fed up like many of President Trump and his Deplorables about how the Trump haters and their leader senator Maxine Waters who has been calling to publicly totally harass everyone who you see with a MAGA hat, shirt or sign especially if they are in a restaurant or at any public place where “they can create a crowd”. Assaults captured on videos are up big time on president Trumps supporters as well as those in his administration with little or no repercussions at all. Imagine what they will be capable of when President Trump gets reelected with flying colors in 2020.

“If you see somebody getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of them, would you? Seriously, OK? Just knock the hell… I promise you I will pay for the legal fees. I promise, I promise,” Maxine Waters said….no, wait. It was St. Donald, at an Iowa rally on February 1, 2016. Native, please clean your (eye) glasses so as not to look through the glass too darkly.

Is this really an assault? Should the guy lose his job over this? Haven’t we all been caught up in a moment that we later regret? NO ONE was hurt, except for their feelings.

Tisbury Native, let’s just see if Trump can survive his current term before you start the party. Hasn’t Trump been a huge supporter of “knock the h*ll out of them”? I’m sure you could find his quotes on you tube.